It is well known to use ultraviolet (UV) lamps to cure certain curable compounds such as adhesives and the like. UV spot curing systems are used in various applications including the curing of industrial sealants for potting electronics, bonding plastics in the medical industry and the curing of dental filling materials, amongst other applications.
Commercially available spot curing lamp assemblies typically include a UV lamp and a reflector by which reflected light from the lamp is focused to a target at the lamp focal point. In applications where it is necessary to deliver a focused or collimated beam of light to a remote target, the UV curing assembly includes a light guide. The light guide, which may be flexible, has an input end for receiving light from the UV lamp and an output end for directing light to the material on the target to be cured.
One known UV curing lamp assembly, used particularly for dental applications, is the light curing gun disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,729. The light gun described therein includes a light source comprising a halogen bulb, a light guide for receiving light from the light source and a reflector for reflecting the light to the light guide. The light gun further includes a conical light concentrator element and a water filled chamber between the light source and the concentrated element. The water increases the collection of light as well as cools the concentrator while filtering out light in the infrared portion of the light spectrum.
Another UV curing lamp assembly is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,392. This apparatus comprises a light source for producing light, a light guide for delivering the light produced by the source to a work site, a sensor for detecting the intensity of the light produced by the source, and a controller for determining the amount of light energy to be delivered to the material to be cured at the work site. The apparatus further includes a dimmer for controlling the intensity of the light delivered to the work site and a shutter for controlling the exposure time for the work site.
As may be appreciated by reference to the UV curing systems shown in both the '729 and '392 patents, the assemblies shown therein are relatively complex, including a substantial number of parts which add not only to the cost of manufacture but also the ability to easily use such devices.
As can further be appreciated by the known devices in the art, heat dissipation and efficiency of operation are also factors to be considered in the design and applicability of UV curing systems. While efficiency of the system may be increased by keeping the UV light source on during the operation of the curing system, heat buildup typically results. While the art, such as shown in the '729 patent, recognizes that water cooling may be used to effectively dissipate undesirable heat buildup, this adds to the complexity of the design and cost.
It is therefore desirable to provide a UV curing lamp assembly where the assembly may be more economically and easily manufactured, and further, wherein the assembly may be used efficiently with effective dissipation of heat.